From the Pastor - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 25, 2025

In our Gospel reading from Luke, some disciples of Jesus ask our Lord to teach them how to pray. Jesus instantly offers them the beautiful prayer which we, of course, call the Our Father.


The Our Father is truly a steward’s prayer. In it, we call upon God in an intimate way, as Father. We ask that His will be done (not ours!) and that His kingdom come (not ours!). In other words, we remember that He is our Creator, everything is His, and our focus in life should be on His priorities, not our own. Then we ask Him to supply our needs (to give our daily bread), forgive our sins, and protect us from evil. That is, we proclaim our complete trust in His provision for us and mercy towards us. We, too, commit to extending mercy ourselves (as we forgive those who sin against us.)


As we pray the words of the Our Father, we recognize this basic truth about ourselves and God: God is our Father, and we are beloved and infinitely blessed to be His children. This is the basis of a stewardship way of life.


At the end of the Gospel passage, Jesus encourages us to pursue a relationship with the Father: Ask Him, seek Him, knock on His door!


He can hardly wait to bless us, HIs children. Remember that this week, then go, be a blessing to others! Stewardship is just that simple. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025


Pastoral Pondering 

Last week I was listening to an episode of the Conor Gallagher Podcast, in which the author, Paul Zucarelli, was being interviewed. I found it extremely interesting and thought provoking, so I thought I would provide a summary of his book this week.


Faith Understood: An Ordinary Man’s Journey to the Presence of God by Paul Zucarelli is a memoir recounting the author’s near-death experience and its profound impact on his life and faith. Zucarelli, a successful businessman and CPA, died of sudden cardiac death on Pentecost Sunday in 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona, and was revived after two hours through what he attributes to intercessory prayer and divine intervention. During this experience, he describes encountering a heavenly realm, witnessing a radiant light filled with warmth and love, and hearing a divine voice assuring him of safety, which left him with no fear of death or desire to return to his body.


The book goes beyond the near-death account, focusing on Zucarelli’s spiritual transformation and renewed commitment to living for God. It emphasizes themes of faith, hope, and love, illustrating how God uses trials to draw people closer to Him. Zucarelli shares how this event deepened his Christian faith, leading him and his wife, Beth, to dedicate their lives to evangelization, sharing their testimony across the United States. The narrative includes reflections on scripture, personal vulnerability, and five life lessons outlined in Chapter Nine, which readers found universally compelling and timeless. While some reviewers wished for more detailed descriptions of the heavenly experience, the book is praised for its authenticity, inspiring both believers and non-believers to explore God’s presence and the power of prayer. Proceeds from the book support a charitable foundation, reflecting Zucarelli’s mission of altruism.


What I found most compelling about the podcast was the author’s sense of peace about how God has been working in his life since his near-death experiences. His story, which is deeply informed by his Catholic faith, shows the transforming power of God’s love in the midst of life’s trials and tribulations.

 


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • October 10, 2025
Gratitude is the key to a stewardship way of life. Today’s readings demonstrate the power and vital importance of gratitude in the life of the Christian disciple, for gratitude leads us to worship God who offers us salvation. We see the power of gratitude on display in the Gospel passage from Luke after Jesus heals ten lepers. “And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned.” Only one of the ten recognized the tremendous blessing he had received from Jesus and returned to thank him. While it’s easy to feel indignant at the failure of the nine others to return and thank Jesus, how often do we fail to recognize the blessings, answered prayers, and healings (both physical and spiritual) that the Lord showers upon us, day and night? The truth is that our very lives and every breath we take are His gift to us. But we can get so caught up in the stresses and distractions of daily life that we lose touch with this truth. The Samaritan reacts to his gift of healing with the proper response to our loving God. Recognizing what he had just received from the Lord, he “returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him.” He was grateful for what God had done for him, and this gratitude led to worship. And because of this response, Jesus offered him a far more precious gift than physical healing; He offered him the gift of salvation. “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” Too often, we hear the phrase, “Count your blessings,” and write it off as nothing more than a trite saying. Today’s Gospel shows us otherwise. Gratitude is powerful. It deepens our faith in God and leads us to fitting worship of Him. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering Over the past few weeks, St. Mark has had funeral after funeral. As we approach November, I thought it might be helpful to discuss the Catholic approach to death and dying. Rather than seeing the end of the earthly journey as something to be dreaded and avoided, Catholics approach death and dying with a blend of spiritual practices, rituals, and theological beliefs rooted in their faith, emphasizing hope in eternal life, God’s mercy, and the communal support of the Church. Here’s a concise overview: 1. Theological Perspective on Death Eternal Life and Resurrection : Catholics believe death is not the end but a transition to eternal life. Based on Christ’s resurrection, they hold that the soul separates from the body at death, awaiting the final resurrection when body and soul are reunited (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 989–1001). Judgment and Afterlife: After death, each person faces a particular judgment, determining their eternal destiny: heaven (often via purification in purgatory), or hell if unrepentant of serious sin (CCC 1021–1022). This belief shapes their approach to preparing for death. 2. Preparation for Death Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick: This sacrament is administered to those seriously ill or near death, offering spiritual healing, forgiveness of sins, and strength. It’s often paired with Confession and Holy Communion (called Viaticum, meaning “food for the journey”) to prepare the soul for eternity (CCC 1499–1532). Prayer and Repentance: Catholics are encouraged to reflect on their lives, seek forgiveness through Confession, and entrust themselves to God’s mercy. Prayers like the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet are common for the dying and their families. Spiritual Support: Priests, family, or Catholic communities often pray with the dying, offering comfort through scripture, hymns, or the Commendation of the Dying, a ritual to entrust the soul to God. 3. Rituals and Practices After Death Funeral Rites: The Catholic funeral consists of three parts: Vigil (Wake) : A time for family and friends to gather, pray (often the Rosary), and share memories. Funeral Mass/Mass of Christian Burial : A liturgy celebrating Christ’s resurrection and praying for the deceased’s soul, often emphasizing hope over despair. Committal : The burial or cremation (permitted since 1963, though the Church prefers burial) with prayers entrusting the deceased to God. Masses for the Dead: Catholics offer Masses for the deceased, especially for souls in purgatory, believing these prayers aid their purification (CCC 1032). 4. Grieving and Community Support Hope in Resurrection: Grief is acknowledged, but Catholics are encouraged to focus on the hope of eternal life, which tempers sorrow (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14). Community Role: The Church community supports the bereaved through prayers, Masses, and practical help, reinforcing that death is a shared journey within the “communion of saints.” Memento Mori: The tradition of “remembering death” encourages Catholics to live virtuously, keeping eternity in mind, often through practices like praying for the dead on All Souls’ Day (November 2). 5. Cultural Variations While core beliefs and rituals are universal, cultural practices vary. For example: In Hispanic Catholic communities , *Día de los Muertos* blends indigenous traditions with Catholic prayers, honoring the dead with altars and Masses. In some European traditions , month’s mind Masses (a Mass one month after death) are common to continue praying for the deceased. 6. Practical Aspects End-of-Life Decisions: The Church teaches that life must be respected, but extraordinary medical measures aren’t required if they’re burdensome or futile (CCC 2278). Palliative care is supported to alleviate suffering while respecting natural death. Advance Directives: Catholics are encouraged to prepare advance directives aligned with Church teaching, ensuring their care respects their faith. 7. Comfort in Faith Catholics draw comfort from scriptures like John 11:25 (“I am the resurrection and the life”) and prayers like *Eternal Rest* (“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord”). The belief in purgatory offers hope that loved ones can be aided through prayer, even after death, and reminds us that death never has the last word.

From the Pastor - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • October 3, 2025
Our readings today show us that living a stewardship way of life, that is, a life focused on serving God and His Kingdom, is not easy. They also show us that our lives belong to God, not to us, and that God will indeed bring about the fulfillment of His kingdom., We just need to have faith that He can do it and commit to our small part in His grand design. This is both our privilege and responsibility as Christian stewards. Jesus makes this privilege and responsibility clear in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. When the apostles as the Lord to increase their faith, He tells them that even a mustard-seed sized faith is all that is needed to move mountains (because it is God who does the heavy lifting). We need to only take the tiniest step forward, and He will do the rest. But living our lives in His service is also very much our responsibility, as Jesus explains through the parable of the unprofitable servant later in the passage. Our Lord describes a scene in which a servant has just come from tending to the master’s affairs and asks whether it would be reasonable for the master to begin waiting on the servant. Of course, it would not be reasonable! The servant would be expected to continue to serve his master until he has completed the work the master has given him that day. Jesus says that we should have the same attitude before God. The time, talents, and treasure entrusted to us are all God’s. Our very lives belong to Him. Whatever we do on God’s behalf with our lives and our gifts is simply our God-given responsibility. The stewardship way of life makes the privilege and responsibility of serving Christ and His kingdom a reality. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering  As we move into autumnal colors, with shorter days and cooling weather, the late weeks of the liturgical year always provide us with an opportunity to reflect on faith and life. It is also that time of the calendar year when we start thinking about those who are less fortunate among us. In the coming weeks, we have a number of efforts to assist the least of our brethren with life’s basic needs including the coat drive, thanksgiving food drive and the Christmas giving effort (formerly known as the Angel Tree ©). There are no shortage of demands placed on all of us these days, but the spiritual and corporal works of mercy remain the bedrock of our Catholic lives. Thank you in advance for responding with a generous heart.